Latest / EnvironMental with Dandelion / Shop Smart, Shop Certified with ClimeCo's Linda Kelly | EnvironMental Dandelion
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- Linda Kelly: So with the smallest companies that don't really know where to get and ⁓ maybe don't have the resources to measure their own operational impact, we have programs like the Eco Committed Partner Program that allows a very small company to make a small financial investment to support projects around the world that are reducing carbon dioxide emissions, that are restoring water quality, that are reclaiming ocean bound non-recyclable plastics. And yeah, and to use that as really their starting point in their sustainability journey. And to say, you know, we're young, we're new, we're just getting started. Aub Wallace: Really cool. Linda Kelly: but we're taking responsibility. We know that our business has an environmental impact. So as we grow and learn to really measure what that is, we are to support projects around the world that are improving the environment and the health of the environment. So it's really one of the many ways that ClimeCo is able to meet companies where they are and help them begin Aub Wallace: Mm. Linda Kelly: further and enhance their sustainability journey and their initiatives to take environmental responsibility. Aub Wallace: Y'all, we got a trust problem. We've been told for years to vote with our dollars, but let's be real because trying to shop these days feels like trying to read a map in a hurricane. I mean, ⁓ is it me? I don't know. Have you found yourself standing in the store aisle staring at all those boxes that say natural and they have that like special shade of leafy green? ⁓ Wow. That's incredible. And you have the services to do it. ClimeCo is like a full service. If you don't know where to start on your sustainability journey, or if you're already on it or wherever, whatever you got going on in the ESG world, go talk to ClimeCo. You got it all. Yeah. Linda Kelly: Absolutely. That's right. Yeah, we really do. Yeah, we develop projects that are doing things to reduce global emissions. We help companies structure their programs and their plans. We help them communicate those plans. We help them source the environmental products that they need to help reduce their operational emissions. And then we help them with third party certifications. So they're able to credibly communicate what it is they're doing. Aub Wallace: and I'm standing there like wondering, am I actually choosing products that heal my body? they help the planet or am I being played by a clever ⁓ campaign? Well, okay, it's not just you. Maybe it's not just me, but it's definitely not just you. 80 % of consumers genuinely care about the impact of what we buy, but we're also exhausted by constantly reading every single ingredient on the label. Mmm. Hmm. We are screaming for an easier way to identify the companies that aren't just faking it. So what would happen if we got rid of that eco-friendly sticker and replaced it with a universal signal that actually means something? What brands would pass the muster and what would just sort of phase away? That's what we're talking about today on Environmental with Dandelion. Yeah. If you have time, I have one more question for you, which is about the folks that you see coming to you. Do you find that it's businesses that are already on a sustainability journey, or do you find that it's businesses who need to join or start a sustainability journey who have previously just never cared? Linda Kelly: Done. Aub Wallace: If this is your first time tuning in, hi, hello, I'm Aub, your host and the chief cultivator here at Dandelion. We're the comms people behind the brands, helping people and the planet work better together. And you, well, the eco-curious baddie who's been called an alarmist hippie your whole life. And now that the world is literally burning, the I told you so ⁓ feel like the flex we thought it would be, does it? Just feels like Linda Kelly: Yeah, I mean, again, the beauty of a company like ClimeCo with the breadth of services that we offer is it's all of the above. So again, we meet companies where they are their sustainability and their decarbonization journey. And we help them implement strategies that are going to further initiatives. They're going to match what their company goals are. Aub Wallace: Mm. Mm-hmm. a lot of heavy lifting. Always, if you're looking for more context on how to navigate this maze, you can find a link to the resource doc in my show notes. before I introduce my guest today, ⁓ tap the thumbs up button like it's a certified sustainable badge that you finally found after searching through like 10 pages of greenwashed nonsense. ⁓ Linda Kelly: And that can be, again, a company, a brand new company just getting started or the biggest global brand that feels like they've done everything they can think of. And we can help them find additional ways to lower their environmental impact. Aub Wallace: Mmm. Right. And in both of those, I mean, I guess what I'm getting at is like, would you still consider the sustainability movement in sort of this echo chamber or like this bubble or do you see that bubble kind of bursting because sustainability is good business and you help that, you help them to make it really good business. ⁓ and you just can't let it get away. Got it? Okay, good. Let's go. guest in this episode is someone who quite ⁓ is building the infrastructure of trust we've been looking for. is a leader at the company that is helping brands turn vague promises into verified climate action. She specializes in creating the smart swaps we need, helping consumers. Linda Kelly: it really is. a big part of what we do ⁓ is to help companies that sustainability initiatives ⁓ are good and those investments the return on the company's financial operations that most businesses require these days. Aub Wallace: move past the material footprint of things and towards gestures like verified carbon offsets legitimate I'm talking like from Amazon's climate ⁓ pledge friendly to the ClimeCo certified product badge. She's heading up the team, making it easier for us to shop smart and shop certified. the senior vice president of certification programs at ClimeCo please welcome Kelly. Linda, could you please tell our audience the number one thing they should know about market-based solutions for a low carbon future? How about we jump into my last question? How can people you? How can connect with you? How can get started with ClimeCo? Linda Kelly: Yeah, thanks, You can reach us through the ClimeCo website. We've got a lot of resources there and again, geared to companies of every size and every industry, also to individuals. So we've got a lot of options for individuals. So a lot of contact us options just on our website. ⁓ I'm active on LinkedIn as is ClimeCo. Aub Wallace: Thank you so much for the work that you're doing, Linda, and for everything happening at ClimeCo And thank you for joining us. If you'd like to see more environmental on YouTube, out my talk with my last guest, Caesar, with Clean Something for Nothing. I'm put that on the screen right here next to a circle with my face in it so you can subscribe to the channel really easily. And I will see you next time. Bye. Linda Kelly: Sure, thank you, Aubyn. It's a real pleasure to be here today and to talk with you and your audience. I think the most important thing to know is that there are credible market-based solutions available to both consumers and to businesses through companies like ClimeCo and many others. I think the most important thing, and if we're really going to focus on sort of the product level, marketplace that you talked about, sort of the confusion with all of the different claims that are there. One of the most important things to do is to look for third party certifications. So if you're looking at products and brands and there's a lot of claims on the packaging, but they're self-proclaimed features or benefits of that product, that's not going to be as credible a product that has gone through the analysis ⁓ ⁓ Aub Wallace: Mmm. Linda Kelly: a credible third party certification program like the ClimeCo certified products program, which has been in the marketplace for almost 18 years. we've ⁓ a lot of experience in both ⁓ with product manufacturers and sellers about making sure that they are walking walk, doing what it is that they're telling. Aub Wallace: Wow. Yeah. Linda Kelly: their customers that they're doing, but also staying current with what the marketplace demands. So there have been a lot of changes along the way, a lot of changes in regulations, a lot of changes in marketplace expectations. And the certified products program has stayed in tune and at pace with those changes. So we take those things into account. Our program Aub Wallace: Hmm. Hmm. Linda Kelly: assesses the overall environmental impact of a product. this ⁓ considered from cradle to grave. at ⁓ stage of that product, we're measuring what the raw materials, what the manufacturing process, the packaging, the distribution to customers, the use, and then the final disposal or recycling of that product, how that impacts our environment. Aub Wallace: Incredible and you've been doing it for 18 years? Linda Kelly: That's right. This certification has been was launched in 2008. So that's coming, coming right up on 18 years in the marketplace. Aub Wallace: And so if a small business wants to be certified, do they just a ton of questions or are you all do site visits? Like what does that look, what does that process actually look like in like a short nutshell? Cause I'm sure that it takes a long time and a lot of work ⁓ to this certification. Linda Kelly: No, it's become more streamlined and it's become simpler with technology and AI resources coming into the picture. But again, our certification is a product level certification. And so we require a third party assessment of that product's full life cycle and where it impacts the environment. And so there are professionals that conduct these life cycle assessments of a product. Aub Wallace: Mmm. Linda Kelly: They look at every raw material, the percentage of content of that material. They look at all the packaging elements. They gather energy consumption data from the manufacturing, look at the emissions associated with distributing, transporting that product. Some products have a use phase. So any kind of electronic product is using energy when the product is in use. And then products have to be disposed of, recycled at the end. All of those impacts are measured. And so a company comes to us with that completed report. We then review it and assess it and confirm that we know what the product's carbon footprint is. Aub Wallace: See. Wow, that, right, and that's product-based, so not brand-based, which means that a brand could have a ClimeCo certification on one product and not on anything else. Linda Kelly: That's correct. We do also have programs at the brand level, but just to kind of stay focused today ⁓ since that's really, that was really your intro is to how to consumers navigate this sort of crowded marketplace for environmental claims on products. And so our program, again, measures the full environmental impact, the carbon impact of that product. And then companies have to take responsibility to continually work to reduce it. Aub Wallace: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Linda Kelly: So that's part of our certification program. Every year they've got to show us what they're doing to make reductions in the product's carbon footprint. Now that they've measured it, they can work on reducing it. And then they have to take full environmental responsibility for the carbon emissions associated with each product that they sell. And they do that by supporting other projects around the world that are sequestering Aub Wallace: Mmm. Linda Kelly: or removing carbon dioxide emissions from the environment. Aub Wallace: Yeah. And so do you find that like brands that have their product certified also want to go through the brand certification? Cause I feel like that's an important thing too. know, choosing a brand that you know. Linda Kelly: Many do. Yeah, many, many do. And there is a there's a lot of overlap the emissions associated with manufacturing and delivering products and your overall business operations. So we have a lot of companies that will certainly do both. Aub Wallace: Do you need to have your product certified to have your brand certified? Linda Kelly: No, they can be independent. And again, it's a matter of working with companies to help them meet the sustainability goals and initiatives they have for their own organization. then helping them to be sure they're communicating that clearly to their customers, to their client base, ⁓ it's at the brand level or whether it is at individual products. Aub Wallace: Yeah, well, ideally it would be both, you know, right? You find a person finds a product, they love that product, and then they search up the brand to see if there's that they want to buy from that brand. Is this a brand I can trust or is this a product I can trust? I don't think that's a question that people ask themselves. Certainly ⁓ a mindset. Linda Kelly: Well, I think they are. I think they are. And we're seeing more more companies focus on the importance of, again, communicating these things. So you'll see companies publishing their sustainability or impact reports. And those reports are great resources for consumers because they do explain what the company is doing more broadly on the company's operational level. And it will also focus on what they're doing if they're a consumer brands company. on what they're doing with the products that they are producing and providing to consumers. Aub Wallace: And you said that you help brands communicate about it too. That's obviously one of my special interests because that's what Dandelion Branding also does. And I'm curious if you ⁓ have found anything that's particularly helpful with helping brands communicate their certifications. Linda Kelly: So the thing that's the most important is one having a certification program like ours that is very clearly defined really does guide companies with what they can say about their certifications and beyond ⁓ the claims. So we have, you know, marketing kit and a marketing team that works really closely with our brands. We're, we're a big part of what ClimeCo does. Aub Wallace: Mm. Linda Kelly: with the brands with which we work is to again help them identify what their initiatives are, make sure that they've pursued those in a transparent and incredible way, and then communicate it. Say what you're doing, do what you're saying, but nothing more and nothing less. Make it very clear to consumers. Aub Wallace: Yeah, nothing more and nothing less. Wonderful. love we deal a lot more with green hushing, brands that are kind of nervous about saying things ⁓ versus green washing, because I really only work with brands in sustainability world Linda Kelly: Yeah. Aub Wallace: It's more about pulling people out of their shell. And I kind of always say, like, if you're not greenwashing, let's not worry about it. If you can back up your claim and it's truthful, let's not worry about that. I ⁓ think more, nothing less is really a nice way to say that too. Linda Kelly: Yeah. I I think that's a lot of what Climbco does. We really help companies focus on the authentic messaging. You know, you've done your work, if you've come through and received ⁓ third party certification, then there's no reason to be shy about shouting it from the rooftops. This is the hard work we've done to ensure that our products are ⁓ for ⁓ Aub Wallace: Yeah. Linda Kelly: our world, better for the environment. Aub Wallace: Absolutely. Amen to that. ⁓ it really doesn't get than that. think, you know, when you do the work, it's hard work. don't, know, like sustainable brands, they're really hard create an incredible product. And then they work really hard to get a certification. And then they work really hard to communicate it in a way that doesn't. Linda Kelly: That's right. Aub Wallace: bore people or turn people off or make them feel skeptical. And the whole thing is ⁓ of the goodness ⁓ the work they wanna do and the integrity they wanna bring to the products that they're making. I ⁓ I'm this world every day and I know you are too and I'm so consistently inspired by it. Linda Kelly: Yeah, and I think another area where consumers are getting help in this area. So again, you kind of described at the beginning that walking down the aisles and seeing dozens of product options for what it is you're trying to buy. We are helping with the third party certifications, but the retailers are helping too. So you mentioned Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly Program. There are many other retailers like Grove Collaborative and Ulta Beauty. And even more mainstream resellers like Walmart and Target and Staples, they're all promoting the programs that they are featuring where they've done the vetting, they've done the work to review the certifications of products that they're willing to accept. So we've been involved with the Amazon Clement Pledge Friendly program since it launched in 2020. I give Amazon a lot of credit. They have ⁓ put a lot of resources. Aub Wallace: Hmm. Linda Kelly: into the climate pledge friendly, sustainably certified product badging program that you see the little green leaf that you see on Amazon. has ⁓ entire scientific assessment team and they use some external third party resources as well that evaluates the product level certifications that they're willing to accept into their program. And they require ⁓ reporting, ongoing assessment. Aub Wallace: Bye! Linda Kelly: of these third party certifications. So really believe that Amazon, Grove, other retailers have done a great job of helping consumers by going through another level ⁓ of and verifying the third party certifications. Aub Wallace: Mm-hmm. Yeah, with the intention to make sustainability more mainstream and more accessible. I think, yeah. Linda Kelly: Absolutely. And make it simpler. Make it simpler for customers to make their choices. the Climate Pledge Friendly Program has seen those results. They've seen sustainably badged products on Amazon, increased sales of 10, 15, 20 percent over unbadged products. They've seen growth of registration of products in their program. And they've seen consumers shifting. They've seen Aub Wallace: Mm-hmm. Linda Kelly: their shop, those choices to shift away from a ⁓ product that doesn't have a third party certification to those that do and that are, have what they've done in the areas of sustainability. Aub Wallace: Hmm. Yeah. Nice, I think, yeah, I actively try not to use Amazon. I didn't know about whether that was a trusted thing or just greenwashing from Amazon, but it's great to, know, it's. ⁓ Linda Kelly: Yeah, it's pretty legit. mean, even if you use Amazon's rating of the sustainability certifications, but you shop locally, which is great. Again, it's a resource ⁓ done a good job. Aub Wallace: Thanks for the recommendation. never, I literally like never would have. Linda Kelly: But again, other retailers too, the more you're looking at retailers that have kind of focused on sustainable products and they've got, you know, grow values and they show you what requirements they have for products. So it is another level certification and reassurance, I think, to consumers. Aub Wallace: Yeah. Okay, yep. Now, before I ask my favorite guest question, I want to remind you eco-curious wizards out there that a super small time creator, your subscribe makes a huge difference for me and for the channel. So please help me people power this channel's growth by tapping the subscribe button or even just giving like the little thumbs up. ⁓ And Linda, one thing I really appreciate about ClimeCo is how much you do. Like there's so much happening there. It feels like a really holistic solution. What would you say is the role of ClimeCo in the transition to a more sustainable future? Linda Kelly: Yeah, thanks. ClimeCo is a really, it's a fascinating company. We're very broad in sustainability solutions, but we're also really deep in expertise. So I think that the main role that ClimeCo serves is again, meeting companies where they are in their sustainability journey and giving them and paths to ⁓ their operational sustainability to lower their impact on the environment in the method that works best for that organization. So even for the smallest businesses, we work with a lot of startup companies. We work with a lot of very small enterprises that don't know where to start. And we really help them with that sort of that paralytic fear of, don't know what to do, so I'm not going to do anything. Aub Wallace: Mm. Linda Kelly: And part of what we say is, well, you can do nothing or you can do something. So let's help you do something. Aub Wallace: ⁓ yeah.